Eaton



unirsi) srnrns rarnivr OFFICE. u N

s. GRAHAM, or Boxster, MAssAcHfusErrs.AssiGNoR To BENJ. GILBRTH AND A R. EATON.

ivrAcHinE ron, skrvrive AND Winr'r'iNiNGjLEATHER.

specification of Letters Patent ivo. 732, dated May io, i838.

Skiving or Whitening Skins in the Frocess of Currying or Conversion of the SameA into Leather. i

`The disposition, arrangement anduse of the several partsl of these improvements, the principle thereof, and manner in which I have contemplated the application of the same, together with such parts, 4inventions and combinations as I claim to be my discoveiie's and improvements` and hold to be Voriginal and new have herein set forth and described, which description together with the accompanying drawings hereinreferred to compose my specification. d

The object of my improvements is to shave and finish the outside surface of the skin prior lto its being colored, which operation is denominated skiving and whitening and has been heretofore accomplished by manual labor. y

A A A A, Figure 1, represents a strong frame of wood, iron or other suitable metal shaped as seen in the drawingor otherwise formedto answer the purpose o-f supporting the different parts of the machineryconnected thereto. f

B is a horizontal shaft revolving insuitable bearings or boxes near each extremity.

On one end of this shaft isa pulley overV which the belt passes which drives the machinery.`

D D D represents a fratrieV of wood or metal constructed as seen in the figure or otherwise suitably shaped and formed. This frame D D vibrates up and down between checks or guides d, al, attached to the inner faces of the ends Vof the frame A, A.

The checks a, a, if `necessary vmay containV small rollers or wheels against whichthe edges b, b of the ends of the frame D D shall rest during its motions, the object of the above rollers being to diminsh the friction.

E, E are two cams fixed on the horizontal driving shaft B. These cams may be shaped as seen in the drawing or may be otherwise properly formed to operate on the frame D, to raise and depress it at every revolution of the shaft. The surfaces o-f the cams bear against the circumferences of small to the cams E, E.

`cuinference, while the otheris bent at rollers 1c, c--eZ, 0l moving in bearings e, e`

j', f, attached to the sides ofthe frame D D. kThe upper rollers d, d, are connected to a inovable'lbarrF, directly underthe upper cross beamV or tie G of the fratrie D D. By means of screwsA g, g, passing` through the upper beam G and springs 7L, 7L, intervening between the beam G. and bar F,` the bai' F may beset in a proper position "with respect The frame D' carries the cutting knives or blades ofsteellzQz', Figs. l and 2, screwed to apiece of metal affixed to the shaft K.

4In order` that `the cutting knives i, z' shallV operate in a proper manner upon the surface of the skin exposed to their action, it is necessary that they should have not only a `downward motion but at the same time afslight motion' sidewise. y These motions are similar to those which the workman usually gives t0 the lskivin'g knife in order to cause it more readily to remove the outer surface of the skin. These knives'also act in succession on the skin, so that while the frame D is drawn upward, itbecomes requisite that the shaft K should be turned `around a half revolution to present each `knife alternately to the surface of the skin `cumference of the saine. Around the oppo-` site semicircumference, a spring 0, Fig. 3, is laid, one of whose ends is secured by a rivet or in any other proper manner t0 the eir-A anglesand passes into and extends a short `distance through a slot 70,.in the `edge of the clutch bo'x m. The box m plays freely on the shaft K. The teeth n of the boxengage with the teeth of a sniall rack jg, 100

Figs. 2 and 3, -aiiixed to theside of one of the center standards r, 1", Fig. l.

From the above it will be seen, that as the frame D D, carrying the shaft Klis `raised by the cams.E,'E, the box lrais caused 105 by its teeth n acting with the teeth of the fixed rack gto turnaround half a revolii` tion. The alternate engagementand disengagement of the box m with the shaft K is effected `in the following manner:` As `the 10 shaft K rises, the bent end of the spring o which passes through the slot p, acts againstone of the shoulders Z, Z of the piece of metal 7c, and thus engages the box with the shaft so as to cause the shaft to revolve a half circle. Then as the shaft descends, the box m is turned back again to itsy former position1 during which operation the bent end of the curved spring 0 is forced outwardby the curved cam surface of the plate 7c, until the semirevolution is completed, when the end of the spring as it arrives at the other shoulder Z is suddenly relieved, and flies inward, and engages with the other shoulder so as to operate again on the shaft K as it rises, and turn the same around a half revolution. y c.

In` order to prevent the shaft K from turning around during the downward motion of the frame D, two pawlss, s, Figs. l, 2, moving on pins u, u drop into the notches or against shoulders o, o, Fig. 2, of

' plates I?, t affixed to the shaft K, and thus hold the knife in a horizontal position while it performs its oflice on the surface of .the

side of leather L. As soon as the rotation of the shaft commences, the pawls are relieved, so that they move over the circular edges of the plates during the upward motion of the frame D, until they meet again with-and drop against the other shoulders 1', 1'.

VHaving described the machinery for causingV the revolutions of the knives, I next proceed to that which gives them a lateral motion during their descending movement. A small grooved wheel w, Fig. 2 is placed on the other end of the shaft K, and travels on an inclined rail m a; affixed to the side of the upright standard r, Figs. 1 and 2. This rail may have just such an inclination from the perpendicular as may be desirable to give` motion sidewise g to 'the cutting knives z', z', which as the frame D D descends are pushed laterally by the rim of the wheel W resting against the edge of the inclined rail I'have now completed the description of that part of the machinery, which gives motion to the knives; but, in order to cause them to act on the skin or side of leather, it becomes necessary to stretch it over a beam M, as seen in Fig. 1. vFigs. 5 and 6 represent the mode of constructing this beam.

Some parts'of the side of leather beingy the opposite as seen in Fig. 1. The beam M and cross bar N are connected by any convenient number of screws b, b, Z9, Figs. Gand 7 which serve to regulate the distance of 'the face of the beam M from the cutting edges'of the knives. On the ends of these screws, small wound wire springs Va, a, a, Fig. .5 are fixed for the purpose of pressing the beam M from the bar N, and also to allow the* beam to fall back a `little ,when-` removed, in the degree in which the same have Yheretofore been donerby the workman using a currying knife in the process of skiving or whitening the surface, the front of the beam My should be covered with leather, which may be stretched over the same in any convenient manner. Between this leather covering and the beam a layer of felting should be interposed which will form and serve thepurppose of a cushion.

It will readilyfbe perceived yfrom the above, that should there be several projecting parts of the outer surface of the hide of unequal thicknesses this cushion of felt will allowy the knife to takeo thicker-shavings from the most prominent parts ofthe surface than it does from the other or less projecting parts. Moreover it should be observed that it isadvisable to make the knives a little longer than the beam and to form the upper and lower edges of the front of the beam rather inclined, so'that the edges and corners of the knives may leave no marks upon the surface of theskin.

O is @a wooden or metallic bar hung in bearings y, y, and having a thin edge which is pressed againstV the side of leather (to keep the same smooth on the face of the beam) either by the operations of the workmanon the handle Z attached thereto or by suitable springs -Z, Z. v

On` the extremity `of the shaft B is a cogged pinion d whichby a suitable num- .ber of intervening wheels e', f', g', acts on the cogged wheels hf, z", j of three draw rollers a', b, c Figs. 1 and 4. These will serve to stretch and draw the hide overthe face of the beam.M. rvIn orderV to pass the end of the side of leather between the rollers, the roller Z9 may be attached to a cross bar having loops Z, Z"Fig. 1, on its upper edge. `From a horizontal shaft m', curved lingers or hooks of metal n may proceed through the'loops Z. To the end of the shaft m, the end of a rod 0 may be afxed.

, This rod hasa handle p which on grasping and pressing forwardy raises the roller Z1 sufliciently to enable the workman to pass the side o-f leather between the draw rollers.

by reference to Figs. 8 and 9, in which d represents the cogged pinion playing into the cogged wheel e-thus giving motion to the cogged pinion f on the same axis with the cogged wheel e. This latter pinion f engages with the cogged -wheel g on the eX- tremity of the axis of one of the draw rollers aturning in the direction represented by the arrow on the same Fig. 8. These draw rollers a', b', c are connected by the cogged wheels 71.', z", y" so that when the first (a) is turned by the action of,u the cogged wheel g, all the rest are caused to revolve. The spring Z which holds the bar O against the beam M is shown in Fig. 10. Z is the spring which acting on the foot y of the bar O presses it against "the leather on the lower edge of the beam.

I claim in the above described machineryy 1. The arrangement or combination of the different parts forming together a machine for skiving and whitening leather, constructed substantially in the manner set forth.

2. I claim separately thel machinery that effects the alternate revolutions and lateral motionsof the shaft K, to which the cutting knives z', z' are attached.

3. Iclaim the machinery which raises and depresses the shaft K for the purposes hereinlset forth, in combination with the other parts Vof the machine. i

4. Forming the cushion on the faceV of the beam M of felt in mannerand for the purposes herein above mentioned.

I am notV aware that the knives used in the operation .of skiving and; whitening leather have ever before been' operatedA by machinery, the mode heretofore practised being by manual labor. My general claim in the above has therefore Vbeen tothe arrangement and combination of the whole of the above machinery that gives motion to the knives to be applied to the knives used for skiving and whitening or preparing leather or skins previous to the operation of blackening or coloring the same.

` In testimony thatthe above is atrue speci- Iication of my said invention and improvement I :have hereunto set my hand this third day of March inthe year of our `Lord eighteen hundred and thirty eight.

SETH GRAHAM. [L 8.]

Witnesses: y

R. H. EDDY, JOHN NOBLE. 

